Submarine drill



Aug. 21, 1928; 1,681,533

' L. GILIASSO SUBMARINE DRILL Filed Jan. 13, 1928 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 IN VEN TOR.

A TTORNEY Aug. 21, 1928.

L. GILIASSO SUBMARINE DRILL Filed Jan. 13, 1928 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

Patented Aug. 21, 1928.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

LOUIS GILIASSO, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANI A.

SUBMARINE DRILL.

Application filed January 13, 1928. Serial No. 246,627.

drilling operations and which can be transported by floating from one location to another.

These objects are attained by mounting the entire drilling equipment on an elevated platform on a barge structure and by providing means whereby the barge may be sunk to seat the same on bottom to alford a solid foundation for drilling operations and means whereby when a well is completed, the barge may be freed from its foundations and floated to carry the entire drilling equipment intact to another location.

Figure 1 is a side view of the apparatus showing the barge settled on bottom for drilling operations.

Figure 2 is a view looking at the derrick and rotary table end of the apparatus.

Figure 3 is a lan View of the a paratus.

Figure 4 is a orizontal sectiona view of the barge as taken on line 4--4 of Figure 1.

Figures 5 and 6 are diagrammatic views showing methods of controlling the barge during sinking and raising operations.

The barge 7 is made-of ample size and buoyancy to carry the raised working platform 8 and its superimposed load of full drilling equipment such as the derrick 9, rotary table 10, engine 11, boiler 12, {pumps and other auxiliaries. The support or the platform or working base is shown as an open trestle work 13 to permit free flow of tides or water current, braced to hold the platform rigid, the height depending on the depgh of waters in which the apparatus is use At the table end, the barge is. shown formed with a bay 14 for the drill pipe or casing 15'deep enough and wide enough for all drilling operations and which enables the barge to be floated away from the standing pipeof the well. To prevent weaving strains, the end portions of the barge sep arated by this bay may be braced before the barge is sunk, as by means of a stay 16 dropped into sockets 17 across the end of the bay and turn buckles 18, 19, connected across the separated end sections of the barge and across the trestle work. If ncces-' sary, the trestle work and platform may have removable sections, such as indicated at 20, 21, across the bay, toafl'ord clearance during removal operations, but such will ordinary not be necessary when the barge is fully floated. i

To control sinking and floating operations, the barge is shown divided into watertight compartments, includin corner tanks 22, 23, 24, 25, side tanks 26, i, and a center tank 28, with sea-cocks 29, 30, at opposite sidesof the barge opening to a transverse header 31, having branches32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37. 38,

opening to the several tanks and controlled individually by valves 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, having elongated valve stems 4G, carrying hand wheels 47, 48, 49, 50, 51,52, 53, aceessibly located relative to the working platform. The sea-cocks likewise have elongated operating stems 54, with hand wheels 55, 56, convenient to the elevated platform. Vent pipes 57 are shown rising from the several compartments and these may be equipped with valves, if necessary.

The compartments are emptied by a suitable pump 58 shown as connected with the transverse header by a branch 59 and as located in a well 60 in the barge and connected with the platform through a shaftway 61.

' To steady and guide the barge while sinking it on bottom, Figure 5, pontoons such as illustrated at 62 may be used at opposite sides of the barge, connected therewith by lines 63, said pontoons being suitably anchored as at 64 and shown as divided by partitions 65 so that they may be water ballasted to exert the proper sustaining tendency. In raising the barge oil the bottom, as in Figure 6, the same pontoons may be used, but ballasted in' their inner compartments so as to be able to exert a restraining force when the barge has been lightened to the point where it commences to rise. means of the guide lines from the anchored pontoons, the barge may be shifted one way or the other and held to straight up and down movements, this control'being exercised in conjunction with the valving and pumping operations.

To break the barge ofit' bottom, a well 66 is shown extending from the platform down through the bottom of the barge through which a hose or pipe carrying a nozzle may be introduced to force water heneath the bottom of the barge. In addition, drag lines 67 are shown, extending in loops beneath and across the bottom of the bar e, which when the barge is to be raisedcan e drawn alongto break contact and let in the floating forces beneath the berg (Jail rd or pa y The side tanks may be kept full when the bar e is afloat for ballastin purposes and b fi ing or em tyin the di ferent tanks, t e barge may eba anced to float as required. In sinking the barge, the

' water may be admitted in' the different compartments so as to lower the barge evenly. Withthe guide lines, the sinking is controlled until the bar e is brought to rest on bottom in the desire location. The expanse of the barge is sufficient to provide a firm and sound footing and the workin platform is large enough to support all t e .necessa drilling equipment. .When the well 1s broughtin and. the proper connection is made, the barge may be again floated by exercise of proper. care in pumping out the compartments, breaking it away from the tion of a pressure line for forcing water or equipment carrie air beneath the bottom to break the hold on the barge.

If necessary, the derrick may be levelled by jacks and wedges or the like, after the barge is fully settled on bottom, and similarly, the rotary table may be levelled.

What is claimed is:

1. In submarine drilling, a barge, means for sinking and for raising the same to enable the seating of the barge 'on bottom for drilling purposes and removal by floating when drilling is completed, a working platform supported in elevated relation on the barge to stand above water ;when the barge is on bottom and a well drilling machine on said elevated platform operative to driire a well when the barge is stationed on bottom, said barge having buoyancy when unwatered to float the entire load of the elevated workin platform and g thereby.

2. A structure as in claim 1, in which the drilling equipment includes a rotary table at one end of the barge, a derrick over the table and machinery forv operation of the table and derrick located at the opposite end of the barge to counterbalance the weight of the table and derrick.

3. A structure as in claim 1, in which the barge has a bay for the drill pipe or casing enabling the barge to be floated away from the pipe which is left standing at the well.

4. A structure as in claim 1, in which the drillingv barge has a bay for the drill pipe or casing and mwhlch removable bracing means are provided across said ba 5. A structure as in c aim 1, in which the supporting structure for the working platform 1s a trestle enabling unobstructed flow of surface water beneath the platform and 0 over thesunken barge.

6. A structure as in claim 1, with means forffloreaking the grip of the bottom when-the barge is to be raised.

7 A structure as in claim 1, with means for enabling the forcing of a cleavage stream between the barge and the bottom on the barge has closed compartments in different portions of the same which can be individually controlled for buoyancy purposes.

12. A structure as in claim 1, in which the barge is divided into watertight com partments and in which the sinking and raising means includes piping and valves by which admission and discharge of water 1n said compartments is controlled.

13. A structure as in claim 1, in which the barge has watertight compartments with vent pipes extending up to the. working platform and in which the sinking and raisin'g means includes piping and valves for individual control of the compartments.

14. The process of drilling wells in lake bottoms and the like, which comprises mounting the drilling equipment on a working platform supported on a barge at such hei ht that when the barge is on bottom sai platform will be above water level. sinking the barge to a solid foundation on the bottom, operating the drilling equipment to drill the well while the barge is thus stationed on bottom and then after completing the well, floating the barge to remove the equipment from the well for subsequent use in drilling other wells. v

15. A process as in claim 14 with the added steps of positively restraining and guiding the barge during the flooding and the unwatering operations.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. v LOUIS GILIASSO. 

